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If you are a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist with solid language skills, please consider joining the USCG Auxiliary Interpreter Corps and earning the Operations Program Ribbon.



APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The requirements for joining the USCG Auxiliary Interpreter Corps are:

• Language Competency Level: The Auxiliary does not teach languages or train prospective Interpreters. Language skills are acquired by members on their own prior to applying.  Solid intermediate or higher proficiency levels are required as a pre-requisite to applying. While we use our own Personal Qualification Standards (PQS), we follow the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) guidelines requiring a level of "2+"or higher  in oral communication, verbal interpretation and written translation to become an Auxiliary interpreter. Applicants with an evaluation score below 2+ in any evaluation area can not be accepted but may reapply again after six months assuming self-led study or practice was performed. A fuller description of the ILR 2+ competency level expectation can be found here. 


• Favorable PSI: Auxiliary interpreters must have a favorable Operational Support Personnel Security Investigation (OS PSI) on file. A Direct Operational Personnel Security Investigation (DO PSI) or security clearance is not required for program acceptance, but may be needed for specific requests from a Coast Guard Order-Issuing Authority.


• Membership Status: Must be at least Basic Qualification or Higher


• ICS: Completion of FEMA ICS-100 and ICS-700 is recorded in AUXDATA II.


• Risk Management: Completion of USCG Introduction to Risk Management LMS Course (100202) is recorded in AUXDATA II.


• AUXCT (Core Training): Auxiliarists must have completed Core Training, and be in good standing (ie.,e current and not in REYR), as recorded in AUXDATA II.

CERTIFICATION PROCESS
The Interpreter Program certification process involves the following steps:

1. Member Application: Member completes the Interpreter Application Form and submits it to [email protected] or directly to the Auxiliary Division Chief for Interpreter Qualifications.


2. Application Review (1-2 weeks): The application is reviewed by the Qualification Division for completeness, including self-assessed language competency, member information verification, the above listed pre-requisites, and other relevant qualification documents that may have been provided by the applicant.


3. Language Skills Assessment (2-12 weeks, subject to LQE availability):  Applicants who pass the initial review are assigned a Language Qualification Examiner (LQE) for the  language listed on each application. The LQE conducts a thorough verbal and written assessment of the candidate’s language skills using the prescribed PQS materials. This involves approximately 20 minutes of oral communication in English and the target language, followed by 20 -30 minutes of successively more complex sentence structures verbally conveyed from English to the target language and back. The PQS is completed by providing a high quality written translation of four text sections from English to the target language and back. The translation work is done on the applicants own time but should be returned to the LQE in no more than one week. The LQE will evaluate the work and will assign an evaluation score for each of the three sections in their sole discretion. Evaluations and scoring determinations once concluded are generally final, but the Division Chief for Qualifications may upon applicant's substantiated request allow a repeat evaluation by another LQE if circumstances and facts are sufficiently compelling.


4. Certification (2-4 weeks): Applicants who successfully complete the PQS and pass the minimum proficiency requirements obtain the Interpreter qualification ( “INT” designation), which is then entered into AUXDATA II.  As a member of the USCG Auxiliary Interpreter Corps the member is thereafter authorized to wear the Operations program ribbon and may be assigned to interpreter missions by the national interpreter deployment staff as long as core training (AUX-CT) or other potential currency requirements are maintained. Any deployments made or arranged through other channels should always be reported to [email protected].

Get Started Download in EXCEL format and complete the Interpreter Application Form located here. Email it to: [email protected]